Plural reflector headlamp device



Nov. 30, 1965 L. H. VERBEEK PLURAL REFLECTOR HEADLAMP DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 30, 1962 FIGZ PRIOR ART INVENTOR LEO H. VE R BEEK BY M AGEN Nov. 30, 1965 L. H. VERBEEK 3,221,200

PLURAL REFLECTOR HEADLAMP DEVICE Filed Jan. 50, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LEO H VERBEEK United States Patent 3,221,200 PLURAL REFLECTOR HEADLAMP DEVICE Leo Henricns Verheek, Eindlioven, Netherlands, assignor to North American Philips Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 169,764 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Feb. 7, 1961, 260,918 4 Claims. (Cl. 313-113) As is known, in certain kinds of reflector lamps the lamp body comprises a cover glass and a support for members passing through to supply current to the lamp elements emitting light the cover glass and the support being secured together along their edges. The said support is partly in the form of a concave reflector.

This support, which generally is made from moulded glass, has to be shaped in a prescribed form to enable it to perform its reflect-ing function satisfactorily. It has been found in practice that in these reflector lamps the reflecting parts of the support show local differences from the prescribed shape. These differences occur in particular at the edges of the reflecting part and at the points at which the current supply members pass through the relevant reflecting part of the support. Hence, a certain part of the surface of these reflectors provides substantially no contribution to the prescribed production of the light beams.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome these disadvantages.

For this purpose, according to the present invention a reflector lamp of the above mentioned kind is characterized in that the current supply members are led in through the reflector body at points beside the support portions designed as reflectors.

Thus, the lead-in apertures for the current supply members are not made in portions of the support which are of essential importance for the required beam production. In contradistinction there, these apertures may be located in zones of the support which need not satisfy special requirements with respect to lighting technology.

In reflector lamps of the usual shape, inaccuracies occur not only at the leading-in points of the current supply members through the support but also near the transition zone between the reflecting part and the adjoining edge part of the support. Thus, existing reflector lamps having a single reflector have a limitation in that not only the central portion but also the marginal portion of the entire available surface of the reflector is of different quality with respect to the lighting properties. By disposing the lead-ins of the current supply members beside the reflectors, the resulting gain in useful reflecting surface proves to be such that, without increasing the outer diameter of the reflector lamp, a construction can be obtained which, instead of a single reflector comprises three reflectors arranged side by side, which obviously have smaller diameters and are adapted to co-operate each with its own light emitting element. Comparative experiments have shown that a reflector lamp in accord ance with the invention having an outer diameter d and comprising three reflectors each co-operating with its own light emitting element, from a point of view of lighting technology is at least equivalent to three separate reflectors each having the same diameter d and co-operating each with its own light emitting element. Consequently, a lighting system of considerably improved quality can be obtained within the given dimensions of the relevant par-ts of the front of a motor-car.

As has been mentioned hereinbefore, the transition zone between the reflecting portion of the lamp and the adjacent generally flat portion of the support is responsible "ice for additional inaccuracies in the practical shape of the support.

In a suitable embodiment of the reflector lamp in accor-dance with the invention, this may be elfectively overcome if in such a lamp comprising a number of portions designed as reflectors, which co-operate each with at least one light emitting element, the transitions in the form of parts of circles between at least two of the reflecting portions of the support and the remainder of the support together'form a single closed line, the points at which the current supply members are passed through the reflector body being located in the support outside this line.

In a further embodiment of the reflector lamp in accordance with the invention, it is advisable that projections provided on the support for orienting the lamp, which may serve for correctly positioning the lamp when it is inserted in a suitable holder, are located near the points at which the current-supply members are led through the support. Such orienting projections may give rise to non-reproducible discrepancies in the shape of adjacent parts of the moulded glass body owing to local discontinuities in the thickness of the glass.

As a rule, in the lamp in accordance with the invention, the points at which the current supply members are sealed through the support are spaced by comparatively large distances from the centre. In order to enable such a lamp to be inserted in a holder of usual construction for reflect-or lamps, which holder is generally disposed centrally behind the lamp, in a preferred embodiment of the reflector lamp in accordance with the invention, at the side of the support remote from the lamp space connections are established between the ends of the current supply members for the light-emitting elements and the means which enable the lamp to be inserted in a suitable lampolder and are disposed substantially centrally of the said side of the support.

In the lamp in accordance with the invention the lightemitting elements may be designed in different manners. The entire space formed by the support and the cover glass may be used as lamp space and hence may be evacuated and, if required, filled with gas. In this event, one or a number of filaments operate in one space. Alternatively, the light-emitting elements may be small separate incandescent lamps, for example iodine lamps, or discharge tubes, so that each filament operates in a separate envelope. If desired, the light-emitting elements may be attached to the current supply members so as to be capable of being exchanged, and in this case the cover glass has to be detachable. In general, the reflector lamp in accordance with the invention will be designed so that it comprises at least two surfaces arranged side by side in the support which act as reflectors and cooperate each with a light emitting element.

If desired, the cover glass and/or the reflector may be profiled so that the light is concentrated or dispersed to a certain extent.

In order that the invention may readily be carried into effect, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIGURES 1 and 2 are a longitudinal sectional view and a front elevation respectively of a known reflector lamp with detached cover glass.

FIGURES 3 and 4 are a longitudinal sectional view and a front elevation respectively of an embodiment of the reflector lamp in accordance with the invention with the cover glass removed.

The known reflector lamp shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 has an envelope comprising a support 10 and a cover glass 11. The two par-ts are moulded from glass and are fused to one another along rims 12 and 13 of the facing surfaces. Three current supply members 14, 15 and 16 are passed through the support. The said members comprise contact points 14*, 15 and 16 respectively which within the lamp merge into filament supports 14 15 and 16 respectively. A filament 17 is mounted on the filaments supports 14 and 15 and a filament 18 is supported by the supports 15 and 16'.

Each current supply member is passed through an aperture in the support these leads-ins being sealed in a gas-tight manner by metal caps 19, 2t) and 21, the sharp rims of which are sealed in a thickened part of the reflector body 10.

As will be seen from the figure, in this embodiment the main filament 18 extends along the axis XX of the lamp so that its central part lies in the focus F of the parabolic inner surface 22 of the support 10 which is provided with a reflecting layer. The dimming filament 17 extends above the axis XX at right angles thereto.

In the moulding operation the support 10 is not provided with the apertures for leading through the current supply members, but these apertures are subsequently made by punching, the metal caps 19, 20 and 21 being secured to the support when the current supply members have been passed through.

It is found in practice that by the provision of these apertures and of an aperture 23 intended for carrying an exhaust tube 24, the central portion of the reflector surface 22 is deformed so that the optical properties of the parabolic surface 22 are adversely affected. This deformed portion lies within a circle 25 shown as a broken line in FIGURE 2.

It is also found that the marginal portion of the parabolic surface 22 does not entirely comply with the described dimensions owing to the transition between the parabolic portion 22 and the rim 12. This portion with reduced optical properties lies about between a circle 26 shown as broken line and a sharp transition 27 between the parabolic portion 22 of the support and its rim 12.

Orienting projections 28, 29 and 30 are provided on the rearside of the rim 12. As FIGURE 1 shows, these projections are thickened par-ts of the rim 12. These projections also adversely affect the shape of the inner surface 22 of the support 10; the reflector portions of reduced quality are shown in FIGURE 2 by more or less triangular zones 31, 32 and 33 shown by broken lines.

FIGURE 1 shows that a comparatively large part of the theoretically available reflector surface 22 is not shaped in the required form and consequently does not contribute to the beam production in the required manner.

This limitation is overcome by shaping the lamp according to the construction illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4.

The reflector lamp shown in these figures comprises a support 50 and a cover glass 51 fused to one another at the facing surfaces of rims 52 and 53. The support and the cover are both moulded from glass.

The lamp shown contains three filaments, two filaments 54 and 55 extending horizontally and the third filament 56 extending obliquely. All three filaments are coiled.

In the reflector lamp shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, within an overall diameter d of 180 mm., which value corresponds to the outer diameter d of the reflector lamp shown in FIGURES l and 2, three parabolic reflectors 57, 58 and 59 are arranged side by side in the support 50 so that the outlines of these reflectors form only parts of circles and merge into one another so that the external boundary of this configuration of reflectors is a closed line.

Thus, within a transition zone 60 between the rim 52 and the remainder of the support, sickle-shaped flat portions 61, 62 and 63 are left which lie beside the support portions acting as reflectors and in which according to the invention at points 64, 65, 66 and 67 currents supply members for the filaments are led through. Hence, the surface portions essential for the beam formation by the lamp not liable to be damaged by the apertures being punched. The sickle-shaped portions may be utilized as locations for orienting projections 68, 69 and 70.

In the embodiment shown, a connection for the exhaust tube of the lamp is provided at the centre.

In the lamp shown, the external current supply pins are spaced from the axis Y-Y of the lamp. Either a holder may be used which is adapted to receive these pins or converging leads may be applied to the rear side of the support 50 which connect the current supply members passed through the support to contact pins nearer the centre.

FIGURE 4 clearly shows that the adverse effects produced in the shape of the support by the lead-ins of the current supply members are entirely eliminated. Similarly, the presence of the orienting projections does not adversely affect the shape of the support portions acting as reflectors. Only near the rim 52 each reflector 57, 58 and 59 has a narrow zone (72, 73 and 74 respectively) indicated by a broken line, in which the quality of the reflecting surface does not entirely correspond to the theoretical shape.

From a comparison of FIGURE 1 and 3 it follows that the use of the invention enables a reflector lamp com-prising several reflectors to be made within a given diameter, the quality of each subreflector satisfying the requirements through a materially larger part than in the known reflector lamp. Hence, each filament may co-operate with a separate reflector without the need for making compromises in shaping the reflector in view of the presence of another filament having to co-operate with the same reflector.

The lamp shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 is intended to form, together with a similar reflector lamp, a motor car lighting system having a main beam and an asymmetrical dipped beam. The main beam may be obtained by switching into circuit the filaments 54 and 55 in both lamps, the filament 54 producing the widely dispersed base portion of the beam pattern and the filament 55 producing a superimposed higher and less dispersed portion. When the dipped beam is required, the filament 54 remains operative but on its beam is superimposed the oblique dipped beam produced by switching the filament 56 into circuit.

Obviously, the invention may also be used if the number of reflectors in the reflector lamp diflers from the number three. The invention may be of special importance for the construction of a reflector lamp comprising one filament co-opera-ting with one reflector.

What is claimed is:

1. A sealed reflector lamp comprising a cover glass, a plurality of light-emitting members in said reflector, a plurality of current supply members connected to lightemitting members, a support for said current-supply members, said support and said cover glass being sealed together at their peripheral rims, said support having at least two portions thereof in the form of concave reflectors, said current supply members being led through said support surface only between the reflector portions thereof and the peripheral rims of said cover glass and support.

2. A sealed reflector lamp comprising a cover glass, a plurality of light-emitting members in said reflector, a plurality of current supply members connected to lightemitting members, a support for said current-supply members, said support and said cover glass being sealed together at their peripheral rims, said support having at least two portions thereof in the form of discontinuous, circularly-shaped concave reflectors, each concave reflector having a light-emitting member coacting therewith, said concave reflectors together forming an Outline of a single closed line, and said current supply members being led through said support surface at points outside said single closed line.

3. A sealed lamp as claimed in claim 1 further comprising orienting projections on said support adjacent to the points where said current supply members are led through said support surface.

4. A sealed reflector lamp comprising a cover glass, a plurality of light-emitting members in said reflector, a plurality of current supply members connected to lightemitting members, a support for said current supply members, said support and said cover glass being sealed together at their peripheral rims, said support having three portions thereof in the form of discontinuous, circularlyshaped concave reflectors, said current supply members being led through said support surface only between the References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,543,093 2/1951 Braunsdorfl 313-115 JOHN W. HUCKERT, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE N. WESTBY, DAVID I. GALVIN,

Examiners. 

1. A SEALED REFLECTOR LAMP COMPRISING A COVER GLASS, A PLURALITY OF LIGHT-EMITTING MEMBERS IN SAID REFLECTOR, A PLURALITY OF CURRENT SUPPLY MEMBERS CONNECTED TO LIGHTEMITTING MEMBERS, A SUPPORT FOR SAID CURRENT-SUPPLY MEMBERS, SAID SUPPORT AND SAID COVER GLASS BEING SEALED TOGETHER AT THEIR PERIPHERAL RIMS, SAID SUPPORT HAVING AT LEAST TWO PORTIONS THEREOF IN THE FORM OF CONCAVE RE- 